Cosmogenesis
is the origin and development of the cosmos. This term "Cosmogenesis"
was used by Helena P. Blavatsky to describe the content of Volume I of her
two-volume Secret Doctrine, published in 1888; volume II was called
"Anthropogenesis" or the origin of humanity.

In
Cosmogenesis, Blavatsky describes that the first fundamental principle of the
cosmos is "an omnipresent, eternal, boundless and immutable principle on
which all speculation is impossible." She uses the term
"Absolute" to describe it.

Within this
Absolute is the germ of manifestation, which in itself is unmanifested. She
uses the term First Logos, or the First Cause.

At the dawn
of manifestation, there is a stage which she describes as the Second Logos,
still unmanifest in terms of our physical Universe, which has now the principle
of dualistic differentiation: Puraya - Prakriti, Spirit-Matter, Father-Mother.

Only on the
third stage, or the Third Logos, does manifestation of the Cosmos actually
begin. From this Third Logos is emanated the manifested universe, starting from
the Seven Planetary Logoi and then the hierarchy of divine intelligences, down
to the other beings or entities in the physical world.

Blavatsky
states that the mythology and scriptures of the world have many correspondences
with this view of cosmogenesis. She devoted the first volume of her Secret
Doctrine to the comparison of the above cosmogenetical view with those of
ancient cultures and beliefs.